Reform UK councillors in Birmingham have called for council meetings to be conducted only in English after an Islamic prayer was read aloud in Arabic during a mayoral ceremony in the city.
Newly-appointed Lord Mayor Zaker Choudhry invited imam Muhammad Abdali to recite a verse from the Koran in Arabic as he was sworn in. The verse was later repeated in English.
In a letter to Choudhry, Reform councillors said the council should remain “inclusive and accessible to all residents regardless of religion or culture” and argued that all proceedings should be held in English.
Group leader Jex Parkin said only English should be used in public meetings “to promote and protect the language, culture, and values of the United Kingdom.”
The move prompted criticism from Labour councillors. Majid Mahmood described the warning as “nonsense” and said Birmingham’s diversity should not be “feared or politicised.”
The imam said the prayer promoted harmony, cooperation, and opposition to “all forms of extremism and terrorism.” A council spokesman said Lord Mayors traditionally have the option to invite a religious leader of their choice to open proceedings.
